Tube and rod driving device



Nov. 14, 1961 C(FIELDERS TUBE AND ROD DRIVING DEVICE Filed June 21, 1956INVENTOR. CfC/L F7EL DE R6 BY QOLQM ATTORNEYS- United States ?Patent3,008,227 TUBE AND ROD DRIVING DEVICE Cecil Fielder-s, Newport, Ky.,assignor to Soliio Petroleum Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Filed June 21, 1956, Ser. No. 592,902 4 Claims. (Cl. 29-255) Thisinvention relates, as indicated, to an improved device for movingtubing, or pipe, and rod longitudinally against resistance in one formor another.

More particularly, I have been concerned with the difiiculty encounteredheretofore in the re-tubing of a heat exchanger tube bundle, the samecomprising conventionally a plurality of tubes connected to headers attheir respective ends and maintained in parallel spaced-apart relationalong their lengths by a number of tube sheets or plates through whichthey commonly pass. The old tubes to be replaced can be cut near theheaders and the stub ends extracted from the latter conveniently by theuse of available tools; it would then be most expeditions to withdrawthe tubes axially fromthe bafiles or sheets. However, this latteroperation has been difficult and even impossible to accomplish in actualpractice due to scale formation and deposit on the outer tube surfacesand the lack of a device especially adaptedto eifect the removal of thetubes against the resultant resistance to the axial movement.

The provision of such a device, which may be used in like manner as wellas in other types of tube assemblies and also in the driving of rod andthe like, is a primary object of my invention.

It is also an object to provide a tube and rod driver of simpleconstruction, which not only facilitates manufacture of the same butalso enhances the convenience of use thereof. An additional object is toprovide a tool of this nature which is readily adapted for use withconventional power equipment, such as fluid-operated hammers ofcommercially available types. It is a further object of the invention toprovide a tube and rod driving device including means for positioningthe same on the piece to be driven to afford and maintain a mechanicaladvantage, the safety and facility of use of the device thereby beingalso enhanced.

Another object is to provide a device for applying power-developedimpact to move a tube or rod longitudinally, the driving element of thedevice being engaged with the tube at a small angle of approach, andthus held without slipping, so that the component of applied forcetransverse to the piece is at a practical minimum.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawing setting forth in detail a certain illustrativeembodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but oneof the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an exchanger tube bundle and adriver in accordance with the present invention, showing the manner ofuse of the latter;

FIG. 2 shows on an enlarged scale the engaged portions of the device andthe tube to be driven thereby; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tool proper of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the illustrated exchangerbundle comprises a plurality of tubes connected at one end to a header11 and already severed from the usual header at the other end, asindicated by flee 2 the broken end portions 12. The tubes are arrangedin parallel spaced-apart relation and maintained separated throughoutthe extent of the bundle by means of plural tube sheets or plates 13spaced longitudinally of the bundle and being provided with openingsthrough which the tubes pass in snug fit.

This structure is, of course, conventional and it will be appreciatedthat in many such assemblies the number of sheets or bafiles is muchgreater than shown herein. Furthermore,- the battles need not all bepenetrated by all of the tubes, but may be staggered transversely.Regardless of the specific array, however, disassembly of the tubes forreplacement purposes clearly would be most easily accomplished byaxially withdrawing the tubes, once the ends of the same have beensuitably freed from the headers.

To this end, I have provided the driving device designated generally byreference numeral 14. The tool proper thereof comp-rises an elongatedmember 15 which is of square cross section over its major extent and hasa cylin drical end portion 16 for gripping of the same in a chuck or thelike. The other end of such member is beveled rather sharply asindicated at 17 and a V-notch 18 at a greater inclination is providedcentrally in the extremity of such beveled end, this other end of themember t-hereby being formed like a gouge chisel.

A washer-like collar 19 is welded to the top surface of the member toproject at right angles reasonably close to the chisel end. The circularopening 20 of this collar is somewhat greater than the diameter of thetube to be driven, so that it may be slipped freely thereon and movedalong the tube. As shown, the notched end of the tool preferableembraces slightly less than half of the tube periphery, and theproportioning of the parts is such that when the collar 19 is cantedrelative to the tube to a position in which it binds thereon, the chiseledges of the notch are brought firmly against the tube. In suchcondition, the elongated member 15 is disposed at a relatively smallangle to the tube axis, so that force applied lengthwise of the same hasonly a small component transverse to the tube, that is, the component inan axial direction is as great as is practicable. In FIG. 1, I haveshown this tool mounted in a pneumatic hammer 21 which is ofconventional type and comprises a rear grip 22, a lower hand stud 23,and a flexible hose 24 for connection to the air supply. The elongatedmember has its shank 16 gripped in the chuck 25 of the hammer, wherebythe impact produced by the latter is directed along the length of themember.

In operation of the device, the collar 19 is slipped over a severed endportion of the tube to be removed after freeing the other end of thistube from the header by a cutting torch or other available tool, asshown by the lowermost tube of the FIG. 1 bundle. When positionedinwardly, a sufiicient distance from the end, the device is pivotedabout the fulcrum provided by the clamping washer to bring the notchedend against the tube and to clamp the tool on the tube by binding of thewasher. The air hammer is then actuated to apply force intermittently,causing the notched chisel end frictionally to engage with the tube andthe tool to drive the same longitudinally.

The resulting vibration assists in jarring scale and deposit from thetube operated on, and it will be seen that an operator can walk with thetool until the tube is fully withdrawn from all the mounting sheets 13.He can also advance a section of the tube in this manner and thenrelocate the tool rearwardly to take another bite on the tube andwithdraw a further section, continuing until the tube is cleared of thelast sheet.

The clamping washer, which can as well be made to encircle the tube onlypartially, serves as a guide and permits the force to be applied at avery small angle, as desired, without slipping of the tool on the tube.The chisel edge clearly could be curved rather than of V- shape, asshown, and the tool can also be modified to place the clamping collarahead or in advance of the chisel end, wherebya second degree leverwould result. It will accordingly be seen that my new device meets thespecific need for an exchanger tube removal tube and, moreover, can beused to the same advantage to perform other operations likewiseinvolving the driving of elongated elements, either by pushing orpulling of the same. Other modes of applying the principle of theinvention may be employed, change being made as regards the detailsdescribed, provided the features stated in any of the following claimsor the equivalent of such be employed. I, therefore, particularly pointout and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A tube driving device comprising an elongated member having arelatively sharp end portion adapted frictionally. tobe engaged with thetube to be driven, a clamping member rigidly joined in angular relationto said elongated member adjacent such end portion thereof, saidclamping member beingformed at least partially to encircle the tube andhaving a tube-gripping portion, such tube-gripping portion and the sharpend of the elongated member being spatially related for simultaneousengage ment of the two with the tube respectively at longitudinallyspaced points therealong, and fluid pressure means having a connectionto said elongated member for applying driving force lengthwise thereto.

2. A tube drivingdevice comprising an elongated member having arelatively sharp end portion adapted frictionallyto be engaged with thetube to be driven, a clamping member rigidly joined in angular relationto said elongated member adjacent such end portion thereof, saidclamping member being formed at least partially to encircle the tube andhaving a tube-gripping portion, such tube-gripping portion and the sharpend of the elongated member being spatially related for simultaneousengagement of the two with the tube respectively at longitudinallyspaced points therealong; and fluid pressure means for applying drivingforce intermittently to said elongated member lengthwise of the same.

3. The tube driving device of claim 1 wherein said relatively sharp endportion comprises a V-shaped notch, the edges of such notch being sharpto bite into the tube upon being engaged therewith.

4. A tube driving device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clampingmember comprises a ring projecting at right angles to said elongatedmember.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

